Man jailed for raping drunk woman in WA

A WA man who raped a drunk woman after luring her into a car under the pretext of offering her a lift home has been sentenced to more than four years in jail.

Australian Associated PressFebruary 21, 20197:58pm

A young man who raped a drunk woman "in a most degrading way" with a mate after they had been trusted by her relative to drive her home has been sentenced to four years and two months in a West Australian prison.

The 20-year-old man, who was 17 at the time and cannot be named, lured the 19-year-old woman into a vehicle under the pretext of offering her a lift home after a night out in Karratha, in the state's north, in January 2016.

The father-of-one was sentenced in the WA District Court this week after he was found guilty of two counts of aggravated sexual penetration without consent.

Judge Ronald Birmingham said although the victim did not know the offender, her relative did and instructed him to "make sure you take her home".

During the drive, the offender put his hand up her dress but she resisted and moved to the far side of the vehicle after two other people were dropped off.

Judge Birmingham said the woman felt trapped and began to pass out, then the offender raped her.

A second man opened the door on her side of the vehicle and sexually assaulted her at the same time in what the judge described as a "most degrading act".

She protested and pulled away, saying she had a boyfriend, but the offender laughed and encouraged the other man to rape her again, the court heard.

The woman cried at a park, then went home and felt ashamed she had not fought back, Judge Birmingham said.

"This was a forcible, degrading sexual penetration of a vulnerable young woman and it was done in company with others and where you encouraged others to participate."

Months later, she recognised the offender on social media and reported the crime to police but he tried to deflect blame, the court heard.

After his conviction, the offender wrote a letter in which he apologised, but Judge Birmingham said it would have been more meaningful if it had come before the trial so the woman could have avoided the trauma of reliving what happened.